'Danger to public health': Cork City supermarket hit with closure orders twice in one month 

SuperValu in Hollyhill was issued with closure orders under the FSAI Act, 1998, on September 4 and again on September 9.

A supermarket on the north side of Cork City was hit with two Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) closure orders last month, following evidence of rodent droppings and pest activity. 

SuperValu in Hollyhill was issued with closure orders under the FSAI Act, 1998, on September 4 and again on September 9.

The orders were two of the 10 enforcement orders issued to food businesses in Ireland last month.

The first order at the Cork City supermarket related to issues that included evidence of pest activity in the deli area and rodent droppings being noted under the bakery unit.

The FSAI said that due to the evidence found in the inspection, "there is or is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health". The order was lifted on September 6.

The second order was issued due to evidence of rodent droppings, amongst other issues, and was lifted on October 6.

The SuperValu store is owned by Crimdale Developments Limited, which is currently in receivership.

The third closure order served under the FSAI Act was on Wok In Noodle Bar in Dublin. Rodent droppings and a "significant build-up" of food debris and grease were noted by the inspector. The order was issued on September 24 and lifted on September 26.

Meanwhile, two closure orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on New Leaf takeaway in Dublin and The Momo House in Donegal.

The order on New Leaf related to the preparation and sale of sushi and sashimi and was issued on September 16. The FSAI did not say when the order was lifted.

For The Momo House, the order was issued on September 10, and it was lifted a month later on October 10 as the business ceased trading.

Elsewhere, two Prohibition Orders were served under the FSAI Act 1998 on:

• A food business trading as Vitalorganico and website vitalorganico.ie operating at the domestic dwelling house (Wholesaler/ Distributor), Castleknock, Co Dublin. The order was issued on September 19;
• Duud (Retailer), Pinewood House, Huntstown Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. The order was issued on September 4.

Three Prohibition Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020, on:

• Nearby Cashel (Retailer), 3 Main Street, Cashel, Tipperary. The order was issued on September 5 and lifted on September 9;
• XL Convenience Store (Retailer), Main Street, Drumconrath, Navan, Meath. The order was issued on September 10 and lifted two days later;
• BK Foods Limited (Wholesaler/ Distributor), Clongorey, Newbridge, Kildare. The order was issued on September 5.

The FSAI said that overall some of the reasons for the enforcement orders in September include: evidence of pest activity; a live rat observed on a premises and rat droppings visible on floors and shelving throughout areas where food and food packaging were stored; holes and gaps in the cavity wall behind a shelf on a shop floor; no hot water, soap or hygienic drying materials available at wash hand basins in the kitchen or staff toilets; ceilings, walls and floors of food preparation and cooking areas not clean, with significant accumulations of grease, dirt and old food residues; no evidence of controls in place to manage the risks associated with the storage, preparation and sale of food products containing raw fish; chilled and frozen foods stored at potentially unsafe temperatures; no evidence of adequate staff training in necessary food safety controls; and food products offered for sale past their sell-by date.

“It’s concerning that we continue to see serious and recurring breaches of food safety law," said FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey.

"These types of breaches are preventable where food businesses have a proper robust food safety management system in place and ensure staff are adequately trained.

"The FSAI has numerous free resources and a learning portal to help support food businesses. Our new Guidance Note on Food Safety Culture, published recently, provides practical advice to help food businesses develop a food safety culture within their business, comply with their legal obligations and prevent these kinds of non-compliance issues from arising."